Safety railway apparatus.



' L. MURDOCK.

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I Q 15m L. Mme -1 -wm I J. L. MURDOCK. SAFETY RAILWAY APPARATUS.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE H; 1915' 1,185,703. PatentedJune 6, 1916.-

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SAFETY RAILWAY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented JuneG,

Application filed June l1, 1915, Serial No. 33,443. i

T 0 all whom it may 00mm.-

Be it known that I, JOHN L. MURDooK, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Boundbrook, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Safety- Railway Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to safety railway apparatus, and the object thereof is to provide an improved apparatus of this class designed for use in connection with the ordinary semaphores employed in what are known as block system ra lways, and whereby a train of cars'will be automatically brought to a stop if it enters a block which there is'another train; a further object being to provide an improved, appara .tus of the class specified part of which is connected with the locomotive of a train and.

part of which is placed between the rails of the track, and which also involves the use of said semaphores. v

The invention is fully disclosedinthe following spec fication, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated; by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and n wh1ch:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic viewshowing- 'railway track and parts of two rails a I with part-of my improved safety apparatus -(hat is placed between the rails of-the' track, I

part of the construction being broken away;

1 andon an enlargedscale; Fig. 3 a diagramma paratus including that part thereof'co'nnecfl ed-with the locomotive and 'th'at placed between the rails of the track;

In the drawing forming part of this specification, reference being madeto Figs'l and the locomotive 0 4, I have shown at aithe rs Is or aira'ilway track and in Fig. ell have slraf wntwo'sema". indicated at 0" and d twolocomotives on the block between the rear end portion of the phores b and b and have also 2 a partial sec'tion on the line- 2-2 of.

and, Fig; :adiagranunaticview showing therails'of the the block between the two";

."and shorter than the contact" TSP-T g i a p u practice of my i-nvention, allthe blocks of the track are provided with a completelectric circuit involving the rails of-the *blocks,

a battery 6 and-wires e and e 'each'0f which are connected w th one of the railsa's shown at e, and each block of the system-or rail-'- way isprovided with a similar circuit.- I

- also form between the rails of the tra'ckand tween the rails,and-which comprises a non- "one end of whichis 1 I magnetic base g on placed a yoke-shaped frame 9 in thebottom portion of'which is pivoted as 'shownat g a non-magnetic plate g,-w1th the-front=end portion'of which is connected a permanent horseshoe magnet 71, The yoke-shaped frame islalso' provided with a supplemental member g whichi'anges forwardly" and ;up-' wardly andin the top portioiifiof wl 3 .is a bar magnet g on which is wound an'elec-, trio coil 9 and Onthe back porti'onof-the base is secured a yoke 2', comprising a base '23-,

' a a k p e i3 and? downwardly and forwardly ncl ned top plate i and the'botto'mplate i and top platezz are "connected 'by an arc-shaped core piece i on which are 'm'ou'nt ed two oppositely wound or' opposing rgmage mally rests on the plate 9 .x

so I

Thepole's'of the magnet :h-a-re provijded with extension poles 7a which are}, secured "on the inner'sidesofthezjs'ide members -ofjthe frame 9 at the -top,'thereo f' and which ex tend above said frame members, and be'- tween which is placed a transverse .fplatfe tic view showing tl1e..entir e a'p- -and wound onthe extension poles k below 1 the transverse plate m are release. C'Qilsqk? and '-'the extension polesdle extend throughthe top or cover of thepit fund between the rails of thetrack as'in'dicatejd in Fig; 1, K Se 'cured' toflthe "base member. 'g-iforw'ardly'of the frame 9 'are'tw'o Contact ispring'sjMar'rd n The contact spring n? is forw a'r y of.

Contact. Spri g I opl'ation 1s dperatedby' the-magnet by the traDSYe'rSe'baseportion ther throwit into contact with the spring-n2; asj indimetal plate 0, indicated in Fig. 2 and preferablymade of -magnetic material and provided at its opposite sides with spring contact fingers 0 below which are placed other and pivoted to said throttle lever is an .armature p which operates in connection withv the magnet p, and the release bar 10 of the lever p" is provided with a pin 72 in connection with which the armature p operates to raise said release bar" when the circuit through the magnet p is completed and, otherwise than is herein-described, the throttle lever 32 operates, or is' operated in the manner of other, devices of this class to bring the engine to a stop.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing I have shown the wire 6 connected with the coil 7' and at" r I have shown a wire connecting the coils 3' and j, and at r a wire which is'connec'ted with the coil jand the coil. 9 on the bar magnet g", and the wire '6 which is connected with the battery 6 isalso connected with the coil 9 Connected with the wire r is a branch wire 7- whi'chtis connected with one of the release coils 70 .The release coils being connected by a'wirerf and a wire r is connected The above wiring completes two circuits with the other release'coil and with the contact device n. A branch wire r is connected with the wire '6 and with the contact 71?.

connected in parallel, and one current of one circuit passes through the battery, through the coils j and j the coil .9 and back to the battery, while the current of the. other circuit passes'from the battery through the coils j-ji'th'erelease coils/c the contacts n-n and back to the battery. The object of the latter circuit is to insure the release of the magnet 72. from its extension poles k, when a block is clear and the circuit constituting the block complete, at which time the coil 3' of the opposing coils jj rises, and the magnet i). drops, and the method of winding the coils on the extension poles it serves to reverse the flow of magnetism through said poles and release the magnets h.

It will be understood .that the wiring as shown and described in Fig. 3 is diagram matic as the wire 6 does not connect directly with the coil j but with the rails a, the rails acting as conductors and a branch wire 8 is connected with one of the rails a at 8 thenv with the magnetic construction shown in Fig. 3 and back to the rails through a wire 8 in which the semaphore is placed and the wires .9 and s which are connected with the rails a are insulated from the wires e and e where they connect wlth the rails as shown at a and as shown in Fig. 4 the semaphores b'b are placed 1n the same c1r- .cuit as the magnet construction referred to,

from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the following'statement. The normal position of the magnet 72, is that shown in full lines in Fig. 2, in which position the circuit through the wire 6 coil 9 wire r coils j-j and wire e is complete and the arm of the semaphore b issupposed to be down, and the block controlled by the semaphoreb is clear, said block being indicated at w in F ig, 4. If a train or locomotive now enters the block a" it will pass the semaphore b and magnet it due to the fact that the said block is clear, but immediately after the said train or locomotive passes the magnet h, the front wheels and axle of the locomotive will short-circuit the block which operation raises the arm of the semaphore b in the usual manner and the magnet it will be raised into its dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 by the weight of the coil j as hereinafter described. -If now the train or locomotive above'referred to still remains in the block 00, or partially so, as indicated at 0 in Fig. 4, and another locomotived enters the block a: by reason 'of the engineer failing to see the semaphore set at danger, or for any other reasons, and passes over the extension poles A: of the magnets-h which form a magnetic field, the plate 0 on the train or locomotive passing over or through said field will be drawn downwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3,. and the contact between the contact devices and 0 will be completed and the throttle lever 9 released as hereinbefore described thereby stopping the train or locomotive. It will beunderstood that when the block is clear, the circuit is complete insaid block and the circuit passes through the opposing magnetic coils j and 7' and the coil 9 and the object of the coil 9 and the bar magnet g is to preserve or retain the magnetism in the magnet h in its normal position, or the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and in this position the magneth is not in direct contact with the bar magnet g as an air space is provided between the same thus providing a magnetic communication, and by means of this air space the magnet 72, will not be retained when the opposing magnetic coil j? dropsby reason of the short-circuitingof the block which :the coil jtand magneth shown in-Fig." 2 the factionof the opposing magnetic coils j-y' will raiseth'e :coil j t'rom the plate 9* and ermit the magnet; h to dropbygravity into its full line' position,

shown in said figure, and the icoilis held -1n its ra sed position the separate block s'thereof, nor to any other particular, form of blockisignal device, nor

aislthe inventiomliinited to onepit for each block, For one magnetic device for a'ma'gnet'ic field 111' each block, nor to the use producing of semaphores or other signal devices at all, norjisthe 3 mvent on lmnted to the exact form, construction and arrangement of the magnet h and its connected parts, nor to the use of the throttle lever 12 for stopping the engine or train and the magnet 9 maybe used in connection with any suitable device for this purpose, including air-brake devices, nor is my invention limited to the release coils k on the extension poles is, and while I have referred herein to locomotives and trains, it will be understood that where the word locomotive or locomotives are used separately, trams are understood as included,

but my invention may be used in connection with single cars or locomotives passingover tracks having my improved safety apparatus in connection therewith, and changes in and modifications of these as well as other features of the construction herein shown and described may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacrificing its advantages; and itiw-ill also be understood that my improvement may be used in connection with any kind or class of railway involving what are known as the block. system or systems.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by ters Patent, is 2- 1. A railway system comprising a plurality of blocks, each of said blocks to ming' a closed circuit in which is placed a ma etic device, said magnetic device being provif d with extension poles and. being normally supported in an inclined position and adapted to be raised to a vertical position and in cooperation with said extension poles when the block is short-circuited.

2. A railway system comprising a plurality of blocks, each of said bloclfs forming a closed circuitin which is placed a magnetic device consisting of a permanent horseshoe magnet, a bar magnet, extension poles for said permanent magnet and opposing magnetic coils for operating said permanent magnet, said permanent horseshoe magnet Let- being-norl'nally in communication"'with said "bar magnet and adaptedto be placed incooperationwithv said extension poles. IA railway "system 'co1'nprising "a"-plhrality ot-blocks, each of sjai'd bloc-ks forming a closed circuit "inwhiclrisplaced a nla'gnetic device, consisting of a permanent horseshoe magnet, a. bar niagnet, extension poles *t'or said permanent'magnet and opposing magnetic coils, saidpermanent horseshoe magnet being normally in communication with said bar magnet and adapted to be placed in cooperation with said extension poles by means of said opposing magnetic coils.

4:. A railway system comprisinga plurality of blocks, each of said blocks, forming a circuit in which is placed a magnetic device having a horseshoe magnet, said horseshoe magnet being normally supported in an inclined position and adapted to be raised to a' vertical position when the block is shortcircuited, and means for retaining the magnetism .in said horseshoe magnet when in its normal or inclined position.

5. A railway system comprising a plurality of blocks, each of saidblocks forming a circuit in which is placed a magnetic de, vice having a horseshoe magnet, said magnet being provided with extension poles and being normally supported in an inclined position and adapted to be raised to a vertical position when the block is'short-circuited, and means for insuring the release of said magnet from said extension poles.

6. A railway system comprising a plurality of blocks, each of said blocks forming a closed circuit in which is placed a magnetic device consisting of a horseshoe magnet, a bar'magnet, extension poles for said horseshoe magnet and two opposing magnetic coils, said horseshoe magnetbeing normally in communication with said bar magnet and adapted to be placed in cooperative relation with said extension poles by the movement of one of said opposing magnetic coils when th'e'block is short-circuited.

7 A railway system comprising a pinrality of blocks, each of said'blocks forming a closed circuit in which is placed a magnetic device consisting of a horseshoe magnet, a bar magnet, extension poles for said horseshoe magnet and two opposing magnetic coils, said horseshoe magnet being normally in communication with said bar magnet and adapted to be placed in cooperative elation with said extension poles by the movement of one of said opposing magnetic netic device consisting of a horseshoe magv movement of one of said coils when" the block is means for retaining the magnetism in said horseshoe magnet when in its normal ,posinet and adapted to be placed net, a bar magnet, extension poles forsaid horseshoe magnet and two opposing magtion.

9JA railway system' comprising a plueach of said blocks forming.

rality of blocks,

a closed circuit in which is placed. a magv netic device consisting of a'horseshoe magnet, a bar magnet, extension poles for said horseshoe magnet and two opposing magnetic coils, said horseshoe magnet being normally in communication with net and adaptedto be placed relation with said extension said bar' mag said tion.

said bar magin cooperative poles by the movement of one of said opposing magnetic coils when the block is short-circuited, means for retaining the magnetlsm 1n sa1d'horseshoe magnet when in its normal sition,

and" means for insuring the release of said horseshoe magnet from sald extension poles.

10.'A railway system comprising a plurality of blocks, each of said blocks forming a circuit in which is placed a magnetic device, said magnetic device being movable into'diiferent positions and adapted to present amagnetic field in one of its positions, and means for retaining the magnetismof magnetic device Whenin another posi- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my, invention '1 have signed my name in presence of the subscribing Witnesses this 8th day of line 1915. v

JOHN L. MURDOCK.

Witnesses:

C; MULREANY,

H. E. THoMi son. 

